


Merry Corm-mas

by meansovermotive



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Banter, Christmas Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, Post-Troubled Blood, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28278537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meansovermotive/pseuds/meansovermotive
Summary: A single connected story (more like scenes) for december's prompts, in four chapters.Strike and Robin spend Christmas in Cornwall.Thanks again for the prompts, @hidetheteaspoons!Merry Christmas!
Relationships: Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Comments: 20
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello,
> 
> Since I always give up on doing a fic per prompt anyway, decided to try and do it @GTRWTW's style, with a single story XD
> 
> This should be 4 chapters, that I will try to finish posting tomorrow.
> 
> also I didn't find the challenge?

Against all odds, with his stomach full of good food and a few pints, and the salty air of the sea reaching his lungs even inside the warm living room, Strike did feel like Christmas had arrived.

Even the usually annoying rambling of Greg talking with his uncle felt strangely soothing, and he could feel his eyes start to feel heavy. He caught Ted’s eye, the old man displaying his perpetuous patience, and smirked.

He knew, though, that he had probably ought to be fair and attribute the peace he felt to its most likely cause, one that was now deep in conversation with his sister. Watching her strawberry-golden hair shine in the light coming from the window, he allowed the sound of her voice lull him further into this content state.

It had somehow felt natural, when Robin told him about her promise of not going home until after Christmas, to invite her to spend it with him. Even if he had felt his heart rate pick up with nervousness at the time – as did, unbeknownst to him, hers - it had seemed like the obvious thing: after all, he was, he knew now, her closest, best friend.

The fact that he was going to spend Christmas in Cornwall was a mere detail.

Still, arriving at his uncle’s house is St. Mawes, he couldn’t help but feel trepidations about how her presence would be interpreted, especially by Lucy.

Miraculously, so far these concerns, as well as worries about potential conflicts with his sister or nephews, had been unfounded. He gathered everyone had been putting on their best behavior, for Ted’s sake, and so it had turned out to be quite a peaceful and, given the sad circumstances, dare he say even happy Christmas.

Of course, he knew that the fact that Lucy, Greg and the boys were staying at a local inn so as to free the rooms for both him and Robin had also helped.

When the sound of the doorbell took him out of his reverie, however, he should have imagined this peace couldn’t possibly last.

Ilsa and Nick, who were spending the holidays with her parents, had come around to give them a Christmas hug and deliver the presents.

Watching everybody welcoming them warmly, and hugging his dear friends himself, Strike thought, with relief, that they really seemed to be in a better place these days. 

It was only a couple hours later, when they were leaving after the exchange of gifts and a some decent laughs and conversation, and everybody stood up to see them out, that he heard it.

“Mistletoe!” Luke said.

Everybody looked around and Strike realized with a drop in his stomach that he and Robin were, indeed, just below the bloody thing.

“Uncle Cormoran, you’re under mistletoe!” Luke repeated, as if everybody hadn’t already heard it.

_The little prick._

Before he could do anything to diffuse the situation, though, Ilsa hijacked the opportunity.

“Ooh”, she said. “Aren’t you right, Luke!” she said, a glint in her eyes, and turned to Cormoran and Robin.

He let out a grunt.

“God’s sake, Ils. Is this necessary?”

“Of course it is, Corm!” she said, indignantly.

“Yeah… Tradition is tradition, Oggy”, Nick chimed.

“Well, this tradition is bollocks” he said.

He eyed Robin, who was looking at him with an amused expression that worried him a little.

Lucy, who was watching with enormous interest, decided to insist too.

“C’mon, Stick”, she said. “Just for tradition. It certainly won’t hurt.”

He sighed, defeated.

“Only if Robin is okay with it”. He looked at her.

“Okay”, she said.

He raised his eyebrows.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah”.

“Seriously Robin, this is stupid anyway…”

“God’s sake, Cormoran”, Robin said, amused. “Don’t be silly. Just…” she paused, before adding in a curious tone, "Kiss me, dammit”. She raised her eyebrow.

The familiar words made the air feel charged between them. This, he thought, was risky.

A grin spread through his face, and he sighed, ostensibly defeated.

“Fine”.

And, under the curious and expectant eye of his family, he lowed his head and gave Robin a quick peck on the lips.

Then he looked around, raising his eyebrow.

“Done. Happy now?”

Everybody smiled, despite the more or less anticlimactic moment, and dispersed – Ted and Greg returned to their conversation, Lucy went to the kitchen, and the kids disappeared to the second floor.

Strike took the moment to exchange a smile with Robin, when they heard someone clear their throat behind them.

Turning, they saw that Ilsa, who had watched everything with eagle eyes, and was now staring at both of them, her eyes narrowed.

With an outraged tone, she hissed, looking from one to the other,

“You sneaky bastards.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had to bend things a bit to make all the prompts fit, as will be clear XD
> 
> Also, pleease suspend your disbelief with the government/security stuff in this chapter, I know it's nonsense. XD
> 
> And omg I'm sorry about last chapter! I know I tend to let errors pass before posting, but I checked this morning and that thing was a meeeess 😅😅 tried to correct a few things at least hahaha I was really knackered yesterday, in my defense 🤣

**Two weeks earlier**

“We could get arrested for this”, Strike had said when Robin proposed the idea, and yet, here they were, breaking into official and very restricted government offices.

They walked together silently, as fast as Strike’s leg and Robin’s heels allowed, before reaching the door of the office they intended to take a look into.

In the distance, they could still hear the music from the high-profile function they were ostensibly attending.

Strike pulled out the card key Barclay had snatched up earlier that week while undercover, and unlocked the door. He opened it carefully and took a look around.

“Clear” he said, and looked at Robin. “I’ll keep guard. Be fast. We have a few minutes, tops”. She flashed him a smile and went inside.

Strike stood outside, all his senses watching out for the smallest sign of someone approaching.

Unfortunately, not long after, the signs came. He heard footsteps and the dangling of keys approaching the further corner of the corridor he was standing in.

“Robin!”, he hissed. “Someone’s coming. Let’s go!”

In a few seconds, Robin was outside, closing the door silently. But the steps were close. Too close, Strike realized, his heart racing. Even with Robin out, they absolutely were not supposed to be there.

“Fuck”, he said, quickly eyeing the other end of the corridor. “We’ll never make it.”

Robin, her own heart beating fast, swallowed hard before speaking.

“Kiss me”.

Strike turned to her so fast he almost whiplashed.

“What?”

“It’s the only way” Robin hissed. “Kiss me!”

He stared at her, paralyzed. This… he just couldn’t.

At his hesitance, Robin grew anxious and, if she was honest with herself, angry.

“Kiss me, dammit!”

Strike knew he was being thick, but he couldn’t help it.

“I’m not doing this.”

The steps were really close, now.

“ _Bugger_ ”, she said, and, surprising even herself, did the only thing that seemed slightly reasonable in that situation.

She threw herself at Strike, hiding her face in the crook of his neck and enlacing her fingers in his curly hair.

Strike startled for a moment, his breath hitching and heart skipping a beat, before catching on to what she was doing. He managed to hug her back just in time to hear the security guard’s voice.

“Hey!” he yelled, walking fast towards them. “This is restricted area!”

Strike and Robin split apart, and to his surprise, she let a high-pitched giggle.

“Oh! I’m _so_ sorry! We were just… looking for a bit of quiet, right, babe?” She turned to Strike. “The party is _so_ loud”. She turned to the security guard, flashing him big eyes.

“Yeah”, Strike cleared his throat. “Lady here wasn’t feeling well. Needed a bit of air. We don’t want to embarrass her now, do we?”

The guard narrowed his eyes.

“Didn’t look like she was getting any air”, he said.

Robin giggled again, in a way that, Strike thought, didn’t sound like her at all. He wondered if the blush creeping up her neck at the guard’s words was real, though.

“Oh, officer… Thomas”, she said in an endearing voice, reading the tag in his shirt. “We are really so, so sorry to cause you trouble. But let me make it up to you, how about that? I’ll make sure to mention it to the minister how understanding you were. I’m his favorite niece, I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.” Her voice was the epitome of convincing.

With that, the guard mumbled something for them to return directly to the party and let them go. Strike let out a sigh of relief.

They started walking, both knowing that they would in fact be heading towards the front door.

As soon as they had turned the corner, however, he could feel the chill atmosphere settling between them.

He waited until they were outside, descending the main stairs, before speaking.

“Quick thinking there”, he attempted.

“Thanks”, Robin said curtly, not looking at him.

“I mean it. Really impressive”, he added.

“Not that much, actually”, she said, her tone short.

They had reached the bottom of the stairs and she started walking towards his BMW.

“Robin”, he called, his tone careful but firm.

She turned to him, her arms crossed. It was quiet outside, dark but for the moon and a few lights in the path to the parking spaces. The air was chill on her skin.

“What?” she said, her tone showing a hurt that she didn’t intend to. But she did have the right to be angry, didn’t she? He had almost compromised a perfectly good escape plan, and why?

_Why?_

“Please talk to me”, he said, and his pleading tone disarmed her a bit.

“I’m listening”, she conceded.

“You’ve every right to be cross”, he said. “Your idea was perfectly good. I fucked up.”

She nodded, feeling somewhat placated.

He gestured for them to resume the way to the car. They walked side by side in the gravel path, their steps echoing in the quiet night. Strike took his cigarettes from his pocket and lit one up.

After a moment, the question tumbled out of her mouth.

“Why wouldn’t you do it?”

He let out a puff of smoke.

“Yeah. That’s the bloody question, innit”, he said. “Can understand why you’d wonder about that.” He took a steadying breath. “Wanted to make one thing clear, though”.

Suddenly, he stopped, and she turned to him.

He swallowed, looking at her, stunningly beautiful in the green dress he had given her. If this was it, Strike thought, maybe it was fitting that she was wearing it.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to do it” he said, his voice low, and her breath caught in her throat. “I just didn’t want to do it like that”.

Robin looked at him for a moment, the words faltering her.

“Oh”, she finally said. Without realizing, she took a step closer to him.

“Robin, I… I can’t stop thinking about you”, he admitted, sighing.

“About me?” she repeated.

“Yeah”. He tossed his cigarette in the pavement, stomping on it his feet. “About you. About – Christ sake, about kissing you, too, if we’re being honest here”. He paused, still looking down. “S’ppose when you said that, then”, he continued, “I… froze. Fuck. I’m sorry.”

He raised his gaze to hers again.

Her heart felt about to leave her chest.

“How long?” she asked quietly.

He let out a sad laugh.

“Damned if I know” he said. “Too bloody long is my best estimate”.

She swallowed.

“What took you so long, then?”

He looked over her shoulder to the garden.

“Some stakes there, eh?” he said. “Riskiest fucking thing I’ve ever done in my life, this, if you want to know.”

He expected her to ask what was so risky about it, but she nodded instead.

“I can understand that”, she said quietly, and he turned to her again, a bit surprised.

He nodded.

“If I offended you”, he continued, his voice quivering a bit, “or in any way it went wrong…” He paused. “Everything would be fucked”, he said. “ _Every bloody thing_ in my life, Robin”. He looked in her eyes, willing her to understand, and saw in them that she did.

“My wedding”, she said after a moment.

He startled, confused.

“What?”

“I asked you, how long” she said. “This is my answer. My wedding. In the stairs.”

He looked at her, amazed and speechless, understanding reaching him.

“See, the thing is, Cormoran”, Robin started, her voice steadier than she felt. “I understand you, but… This isn’t just about you.”

He stared at her for a moment.

“No”, he finally said. “You’re right. It’s about us.”

At that, she smiled.

“What do you think, then?”, she asked.

“I think”, he said, “I can’t wait any longer”. Her smile grew wider. “Could we start over?”

She narrowed her eyes, amused.

“What do you mean?”

He took a step towards her.

“I’m ready to do it again. Say it again.”

His tone was playful, but something in it made her heart skip a beat.

“Again?”

She raised her eyebrow.

“Yeah. You swear so rarely. I want to hear it again.” He shrugged.

She laughed. They were really close now, and she put one hand on his chest.

“Better be ready, this time”, she said, and smiled at him before speaking. “Kiss me, dammit.”

He showed her a lopsided grin.

“Your wish…” he started, and then his lips were on hers.

A few minutes later, his forehead touching hers, she noticed he was grinning like a mad man.

“What is it?” she asked, amused.

“Can’t believe it” he admitted. “After all this time. Fucking nuts, eh?”

“That’s why I don’t curse often”, Robin said. “Strange things happen. It’s like magic.”

Strike let out a deep laugh.

“Here was I thinking it was that talking thing”, he teased.

She laughed.

“That, too”, Robin said. “Glad to see you’re paying attention”, she added, and he flashed her one amused smile, his eyebrow raised, before he was kissing her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to mention if earlier - If not obvious, this chapter was inspired by New Girl!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short one.

Strike raised his eyebrows.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. _You sneaky bastards_.”

“What are you talking about, Ils?” Robin said, her voice innocent.

Nick was looking between them, confused.

“The problem”, Ilsa said, “Is that you two are hiding the fact that you’re together.” She looked between them.

“Where are you getting this nuttery from?” Strike asked, faking an indignant tone.

“God’s sake, Corm! I don’t know when this happened, but you and Robin are _clearly_ together. Tell me I’m wrong”, she challenged.

“You’re wrong”, Strike said, nonchalantly.

Ilsa laughed.

“You want to convince me”, she said, “That _that’s_ what a first kiss for you two looks like? Robin isn’t even blushing!”

As on cue, a red color started to spread to Robin’s neck and cheeks.

“Well”, Robin argued. “This isn’t actually our first kiss. We kissed once…by accident”.

Ilsa raised her eyebrow, but Strike carried on.

“That’s right”, he said. “Second kiss. Not together.”

“Right. And I’m Santa Claus. You’re not together? Fine. Prove it.”

“Prove it?” Strike asked in a louder voice, amused. “The fuck do you think this is, a courtroom?”

Unfortunately, this called attention to the conversation.

“What’s going on?” Lucy asked, coming from the kitchen. Ted and Greg were staring at them, now, too.

Strike cursed under his breath.

“Yeah, Oggy”, Nick finally said, amused. “Tell us what it’s going on.”

Ilsa raised his eyebrows at them.

He passed his fingers through his hair and looked worriedly at Robin.

She smiled at him.

“It’s okay, Cormoran”. He raised his eyebrow as if asking confirmation. “Really” she reassured him.

He sighed before speaking.

“Fine. We didn’t want to make a big announcement, since it’s still pretty new, but…” He paused, eyeing Robin again, and Lucy looked at him expectantly. “Robin and I are seeing each other”.

The squeal that came out of Lucy’s mouth managed to startle all of them.

“Oh, Stick!” She turned to Ted and Greg. “They’re seeing each other! Can you believe it?”

The following commotion, which included a toast to the new couple and many, many hugs and squeals of delight, lasted the better part of an hour.

“I hope you’re happy”, Strike said curtly to Ilsa when he and Robin were finally seeing she and Nick out.

She laughed into the cold night air.

“Oh, Corm, I am.” She smiled at him. “Seriously, you know how happy this makes me for you two, right?” She looked from him to Robin.

“We really do, Ils”, Robin responded. “Right, Cormoran?”

He conceded, smiling.

“Yeah. We do.”

Ilsa smiled back, and then added in a playful tone,

“Besides, that taste of being right? Ah... That feels so good.”

He chuckled.

“Bloody lawyers”, Strike said, shaking his head.

“Tell me about it, mate”, said Nick, giving him a tap on the back and heading to the car.

Finally waving to them, he looked at Robin, beaming at him, and felt his heart warm and full.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is seeriously tooth-rotting, tbh. But well... Christmas fluff, right?

Strike woke up early the next morning, if he could even say that. After last night, he had felt jittery, and had barely been able to sleep.

Sitting in the stone bench outside the kitchen, breathing in the cold morning air and taking a drag of his cigarette, he pondered that nothing had effectively changed yesterday between him and Robin – and yet, the fact that other people now knew somehow made it feel… more real. Concrete. He and Robin were a couple. He took another drag to steady himself.

“Morning. Why are you up so early?”, a voice he knew well asked, standing next to him and putting her hand on his shoulder.

He turned to her and smiled. She looked beautiful now, the air of sleepiness still hanging around her.

“The way I slept, you could say I’m still awake.”

She chuckled, passing her hand to his other shoulder and lowering her head to kiss him in the temple.

“I’ll make us a cuppa” she said, motioning to return to the kitchen.

He put his hand on top of hers in his shoulder.

“No need” he said. “Stay with me”. Then he paused, thinking. “Or, rather… fancy a walk to the beach?”

She smiled and nodded.

“Sure.”

They left the house through the front door and walked silently for a while.

“Trouble sleeping, then? Everything all right?” she asked.

He blew off smoke.

“Yeah…Eventful day, wasn’t it?”

He looked at her, his eyebrows raised. They hadn’t had an opportunity, yet, to discuss the new development in their relationship.

She chuckled.

“Suppose you could say that”. She then looked at him with a nervous expression. “You don’t, though…” She paused. “Do you regret it?”

His eyebrows shot up.

“Regret what?”

“You know… telling people.”

“’f course not” he said, sounding surprised. “Do you?”

She shook her head.

“No. It’s just what we had talked about. Keeping a low profile. To… sort things out, first. I just wondered.”

He looked down at her, into her unsure eyes, amazed and regretful that she would feel like that. He reached for her small hand and took it in his, and she flashed him a delighted smile.

“Yeah, well”, he said, blowing off smoke. “Turns out I didn’t need all that time, after all.”

Her smile grew wider.

“I can understand that”.

They had reached the beach, and walked a dozen steps in the beaten sand, in the direction of the sea, before Strike stopped. The first clarity of morning was starting to appear in the sky.

He took a deep breath of the salt-leaden air. Looking down at Robin. He frowned.

“You’re trembling.”

“It’s cold here”, she said, rubbing her hands together.

He grinned at her.

“C’mere”.

He opened his coat for her and she snuggled up close to him, letting out a sigh.

He chuckled.

“Better, eh?”

“Very. You’re so warm.”

They stayed silent for a while, looking out the sea, and, as it always did nowadays, his thoughts turned to his aunt.

Robin looked up at him after a few moments, and was surprised at his expression.

“What’s on your mind?”

He sighed, his eyes in the horizon.

“She would have loved you, you know” he said, in a quiet voice. “They both would”.

She nodded, understanding, and felt suddenly a little emotional.

“It’s nice… knowing that. I know I would have loved them, too”.

“I know you would”. He took a deep breath, and his voice quavered a bit when he spoke again. “And you could. With Joan at least, I mean. You could”.

Robin was silent for a moment, processing his words.

“Cormoran…” she started, but he interrupted her.

“She would have loved to meet you”, he continued. “You offered to come, even, that one time.”

She swallowed.

“And I would have loved to meet her. But I understand you, Cormoran”, she said kindly. “It wasn’t time.”

“Could have been, though”, he said. He was surprised at himself, at the way the sea and Robin’s presence had brought up these sudden, strong feelings of regret. “If I had sorted things earlier.”

She turned to him, shaking her head.

“Cormoran… I _am_ sorry that I didn’t get to meet her” she said, her voice quiet. “I am. But I also mean what I said…it wasn’t time”. He frowned, and she continued. “That year… it wasn’t our time. It was your time, with her. You hadn’t space for anything else, and you shouldn’t have had. You used everything you had to be there for her”. She paused. “I want you to know that…I think you did right by her. And I’m proud of you for that.”

She looked deeply in his eyes, and he felt like the luckiest man in the world.

He sighed and smiled warmly at her.

“Yeah. You’re right. As usual.”

She raised her eyebrow.

“Usual?”

He laughed heartily.

“My mistake. Always”.

“That’s more like it”, she said, and turned to him expectantly. A moment later, with an amused expression, she raised her eyebrow.

“What?” He played dumb.

“You’re gonna make me say it again, aren’t you?”

He grinned, looking down at her.

“Wouldn’t hurt”.

“Not tired of it already?”

“Never”.

She chuckled.

“Fine. Then kiss me, dammit”.

A while later, they broke apart and were surprised to see that snow had started to fall.

“See, told you”, she said. “Magic”.

They settled to watch it, his arms around her. The image of the white ice falling in the beach seemed to Robin quite surreal.

“It’s so beautiful”, she said. “I never want this to end”, she added quietly.

He sensed she was talking about more than one thing there.

He smiled, holding her tighter.

“I know. Me neither”, he said, and kissed the top of her head.

He wasn’t one for superstition, but only a blind man, he thought, would fail to see magic just then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it probably isn't a short walk from Ted's house to the beach, but the image was so cute. 😅
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Merry Christmas!!


End file.
